WA Labor Breaks Election Promises with 30 per cent Hike to Regional Airfares

Media Release | 9 December 2025

Hon Steve Martin MLC
Shadow MInister for Transport; Ports; Communities

The Cook Labor Government has broken its election promise to keep airfare costs low by announcing a 30 per cent hike to regional airfares.

After pressure from the Opposition on the Government to reveal its plan for the Regional Airfare Zone Cap scheme, due to expire next year, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has hiked regional airfares claiming it will make the scheme more “sustainable”.

“This is from a Minister overseeing a record $1.4 billion operating subsidy for the public transport network and multi-billion-dollar blowouts in spending on Metronet,” Shadow Transport Minister Steve Martin said.

“The $174m increase in the subsidy this year alone is worth $52 million more than the cost of extending the regional zone cap scheme for five years to 2031.

“Rita Saffioti needs to explain why regional Western Australians are being asked to pay more for essential transport while she shovels funds into metropolitan pet projects such as the racetrack.”

The new pricing scheme introduces a new “high demand” price that increases the price of the $199 one way (zone 1 for locations less than 1,000km from Perth) to $265, and the $299 one way (zone 2 travel for locations more than 1,000 km from Perth) to $385.

In percentage terms, that is an increase of 33.2 per cent and 28.8 per cent respectively, with the list of examples of high demand flights including during school holidays or last-minute travel.

The changes are particularly cynical after WA Labor falsely accused the Opposition of planning to scrap the Regional Airfare Zone Cap if elected.

At the time, Rita Saffioti was quoted as saying regional residents “…would be forced to fork out thousands more each year to get around the State” and that “It’s a fact of life for regional Western Australians – sometimes you need to travel to Perth and you don’t always get a choice in the timing”. Mr Martin welcomed the extension of the scheme to June 2031. (1)

“Rita Saffioti has for months forced regional communities to continue to ask for it to be extended in the Budget – despite the election promise to continue it,” he said.

“I welcome the fact the Treasurer has finally provided some level of certainty for regional families – though those families will now pay 30 per cent more for essential travel under WA Labor.”
‍

Media contact: Steve Martin 0428 886 062
‍

(1) WA Labor 2025 election media release, “Cheaper regional travel at risk under Liberals and Nationals”.

‍